Titans Need Big Play Early in Sunday’s Game

Normally, by mid-week, it’s hard to tell if the Titans won or lost the preceding Sunday. Professional players move on to the next game because that’s the nature of the beast. You play 16 games and no one wins them all.

But this week around Baptist Sports Park, there has been a different feeling. Last Sunday’s defeat has remained an open sore.

The loss to Houston left a mark and the team took it very personally. On the front end, you say that’s a good thing. The Titans should not forget the disappointment of last Sunday. It should be a huge motivator.

But there’s a flip side to that.

When a loss leaves a mark, there are can a residual effective in the next game. That’s why making a big play early will be such a key on Sunday against the Colts. Huge key, bigger than normal.

The Titans need to find a spark from somewhere — offense, defense or special teams — -in the game’s first five minutes. For some reason, it’s a defense that often makes that sort of play. And the Titans defenders have talked all week about “being due.” While the offense is tired of hearing about the run game, the Tennessee defense is over being reminded that they have just one sack and one takeaway in the last two games.

They could end that talk before 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

For the Titans’ sake, the earlier in the afternoon, the better.